In the development of CDMA wireless systems that provide high rates of data transfer, such as next generation or 3G systems, adaptive modulation and coding are commonly used. Such schemes require mobile stations to send a channel estimation or data rate request to a base station. The base station then sends medium access control (MAC) information, such as power control information and the like, to each of the mobile stations in order to maintain the reverse links. In addition, the base station may send other MAC information to indicate the target user or transmission rate. The number of users that such a system can support may be limited by the number of MAC channels that the base station can transmit on the forward link.
Thus, a need has arisen for a system and method that permits a greater number of MAC channels to be utilized, to thereby increase system throughput and the number of users that may be serviced.